Additional Commissioner and head of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Monirul Islam said that exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of crime  through delivery of verdict in criminal case against them in such a short time, as in the Gulshan attack case, is rare by global standards.

“This is a message for terrorists. In the external world, it is seen the offenders of such crimes get killed before they are arrested. CTTC has found out every criminal (in this case) through their tireless work,” Monirul said, while giving his reaction at the DMP Media Centre after the verdict in the Holey Artisan Café attack case was delivered by the Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal.

He hailed it as ‘a great achievement’ of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Bangladesh Police, who investigated the case.

Monirul Islam said more attacks were planned in addition to the militants' attack on the Holey Artisan Café in Gulshan. The terrorists had planned, implemented and prepared for more attacks, he said.

The CTTC found the foundation of the Holy Artisan Café attack case after arresting a survivor of a raid on a Kalyanpur militants’ den in July 2016, the same month that the attack occurred. Later in August, mastermind Tamim Chowdhury was killed in an anti-militant operation in Narayanganj, he recounted, adding that several leaders of the neo-JMB were killed and many others were arrested in a series of anti-militant operations in different places. A master trainer was killed in the Rupnagar operation.

The investigation into the Holey Artisan café  attack case was crucial. The newly formed CTTC unit was not technically capable of conducting operations against militants. The unit began its investigation in to the sensational case with patriotism, sincerity, devotion and relentless hard work, Monirul further said.

Seven militants were sentenced to death on Wednesday for their roles in the Holey Artisan café attack, the deadliest terror attack in Bangladesh’s history that claimed the lives of 22 people, including 17 foreigners.

Judge Mohammad Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal handed down the verdict.

On July 1, 2016, armed terrorists barged into the upscale cafe in the heart of the diplomatic quarter that was known to be frequented by foreigners and unleashed an unprecedented carnage that shook the entire nation.